


Most Unusual Friendship

by with_beauty



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Regency, Kylo Ren Throws A Tantrum, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:43:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7140758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/with_beauty/pseuds/with_beauty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey is making ready to enter Society under the watchful eyes of her guardian Luke and his sister Leia.</p><p>Meanwhile the First Order lurks, waiting for the famed ex-Guardsman to emerge from his seclusion.</p><p> </p><p>(Regency AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this story idea for quite a while now so I figured it was about time to get it out there. I've never done a multi-chapter fic like this, so I don't really have a plan for a posting schedule. I'm just taking it easy on myself :) Happy reading!

There was nothing Rey loved more than the forests around her home. She loved to walk amongst the towering beeches and oaks, the ancient yews, and look up into the leafy branches that dappled the spring and summer sunlight. She loved to watch the leaves flare up into vibrant reds and oranges as autumn approached. Even the skeleton silhouettes of the trees in winter were wonderful to her. She spent every moment she could in the forest, stepping quietly over the bed of decaying leaves, occasionally stopping to rest on a fallen trunk or moss-covered boulder and letting nature sing around her.

She’d take these opportunities to sketch in the notepad she carried with her. Her guardian, Luke, the man she thought of as a father, had instructed her that a young lady should be accomplished in such artistic skills, and so she practised often to please him. She enjoyed it as well, finding that she had a talent for it. She thought that she must have drawn almost every view that could be found in these woods.

She was drawing now in the trees by the lane, her head bent over her pad, when she heard the rumble and squeak of carriage wheels. Startled, she looked up. The estate was quite secluded and Luke did not often have visitors. Rey wondered who could be calling.

She snatched up her bonnet from where she had tossed it aside, tying its ribbons under her chin as she hurried towards the road. She reached the edge of the trees in time to catch the carriage as it trundled down the hard-pack dirt of the lane. Recognizing the gilded anchor that had been emblazoned on the carriage doors, Rey broke into a smile. Stepping out onto the road, she raised her hand in greeting.

“Aunt Leia!” she called.

At her voice, a woman’s head emerged from the window. Her hair, which had once been brown but was now beginning to grey, was bound up beneath a stylish travelling hat that framed her face beautifully. Spotting Rey, she waved, grinning cheerfully.

“Slow down, Threepio,” she instructed her driver.

As the carriage rolled to a stop in front of Rey, Leia opened the door, holding her arms out to the girl. Helping Rey into the carriage, she embraced her, her arms warm and strong around Rey’s shoulders.

“Let’s ride to the house together,” she suggested. Rey smiled and nodded, and she tapped the ceiling of the carriage, telling Threepio to move on.

As the carriage rocked back into motion, Rey took her aunt’s hands.

“It’s so lovely to see you, Aunt Leia. What brings you out here?”

“I wanted to pay you a visit. I haven’t seen you in so long. Or my brother. The two of you lock yourselves away out here in the middle of nowhere. I miss you.”

Rey squeezed Leia’s knuckles.

“We miss you too, Aunt Leia. I wish we could see you more often.”

“Wouldn’t you like to leave Tatooine sometimes?”

“What do you mean?” Rey’s eyes tightened in confusion.

“Oh ... nothing.” Leia sighed. “I thought it might be exciting for you to see other places. You shouldn’t be cooped up your whole life.”

Rey’s hands slipped from hers. “I – I don’t know,” she stammered. “I love it here. And papa doesn’t like travel.”

Leia tried to smile, thinking of how different Luke was now than he had been when she first came to England. “I know, dear. I know.”

The two sat quietly for the rest of the short ride across Tatooine’s lawns to the front door. The carriage shifted as Threepio hopped down from his perch, and then the carriage door swung open.

The driver held out his hand to Leia. “Princ—I mean General.”

“Thank you, Threepio,” she responded, allowing him to help her down from the carriage. Rey followed suit with a smile and repeated Leia’s words of thanks. Both adjusted their bonnets as they stood looking up at the grand house before them. It was built from blocks of sand colored stone, three stories high, with a gently sloping roof from which numerous chimneys emerged. The windows stretched in neat rows across the face of the manor, which was saved from dull flatness with the angled sides of mirroring half-turrets at the edges. Over the wide front door were pointed eves, supported by white granite columns.

As they looked, the front door opened, revealing the master of the house, Rey’s guardian and Leia’s twin brother, Luke. He was dressed in a plain grey jacket with matching loose breeches and held his hat in his hand. With the other hand, he waved cheerily.

“Leia!” he called. “This is a surprise!”

Leia thought that his smile seemed hollow, but as Rey ran up to press his hand, it grew more sincere. He kissed her knuckles gently.

“Well,” Leia said, drawing his attention again, “you hardly ever write, and you never come visit me, so I thought I ought to take matters into my own hands.”

Luke laughed, letting go of Rey’s hand to reach out to her. “Why does that not surprise me?” he said as they embraced. Kissing her cheeks, he pulled her into the doorway. They passed through the entrance hall with its finely carved staircase stretching up against the far wall and into the sitting room, furnished with quaint chairs and couches several years out of fashion. Leia took a seat on an especially out-of-date chaise lounge, while Luke settled onto the large couch in the center of the room and Rey took the high-backed armchair at its side.

Luke looked up at the clock nestled into the corner of the room. Leia had arrived at a good time; the staff should have only just begun preparing for supper. He turned to Rey.

“Rey, darling, will you run and tell Artoo that we have a guest this evening and we will need enough food for three? And have him bring up the special port.”

“Yes papa,” Rey said, and kissed Luke on the cheek as she left the room. He listened to her footsteps disappear down the hall, then turned to his sister.

“The special port?” Leia tried to joke. Luke only raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think you travelled all this way just to visit, dear sister. Tell me, why have you really come?”

Leia sighed. “Truthfully, I hoped to talk to you about Rey.”

“About Rey?”

“Yes. She is so devoted to you, brother. Sometimes I believe that the thought of leaving you has never crossed her mind.”

“I only ever wish for her happiness,” he responded. “I’ve wronged her in so many ways already. I can’t bear to hurt her again.”

“You’ve only done what you thought was right,” she tried to soothe. She sighed. “But perhaps now is the time for both of you to reenter society. She is nineteen years old. She deserves to know the world, does she not? And you’ve punished yourself for long enough.”

Luke took hold of the hand that she had laid on his arm.

“I fear that I have not,” he said, his eyes sad. “I have been so very happy here with Rey. But I see the wisdom in your words. Yes, Rey should experience the world as any young lady her age does. She will enter society.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [regency glossary](http://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/)
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	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a while hasn't it? Here's the second chapter finally

Leia was pleased that her brother had agreed to send Rey into society. “You and I shall look over Rey so carefully, there will be nothing to fear,” she said, taking hold of his fingers. He sighed and squeezed back.

“I am so not afraid for Rey,” he said. “She is quite capable of protecting herself. I must admit that my fears are rather more selfish.” He looked down at their clasped hands, then back up to Leia’s face. “I’ve not been able to bear going into public since...”

Leia gripped his fingers tighter. “Luke,” she said, making her voice both gentle and firm. “You cannot blame yourself for what he did.”

Luke shook his head. “I was his teacher. I should have seen–”

“No one saw. There was nothing you could have done. You know how he was.”

He sighed heavily, dragging his hand down his face and over his grey beard. Leia patted his hand.

“There was nothing you could have done,” she repeated.

Just then, Rey came back into the room. Luke straightened hurriedly and put on a smile, but Rey had already seen his sad pose.

“Papa, what’s happened?” she said, coming to sit at his elbow. “Tell me.”

“I’m fine, darling. It is not for you to worry about.” He took her hand and kissed it. “Did you find Artoo?”

She frowned, but let Luke distract her. “Yes, Papa, everything is arranged.” She turned to Leia. “And I’ve had Threepio bring your things to the guest suite.”

“Thank you, Rey. I should retire to change for dinner.” She stood and smoothed out her dress. “Will you show me the way? It’s been so long I don’t think I remember.”

Rey frowned at Luke, and he smiled at her unvoiced concern.

“Later, my dear.”

Giving him a brief nod, she rose and took her aunt’s offered arm. As the two left the room, Luke sat back in his seat and scrubbed his hand over his face again.

He hoped that he was doing the right thing in exposing Rey to society. More than anything, he wanted her to be happy. He owed her that much. He had kept her here with him, selfishly, obstructing her chances from perhaps finding a better life elsewhere. He knew he had very little to give to her. He had once been a knight, a respected member of the Royal Guard, but he had failed there, had given up the title and all the comforts and wealth that had come with it. He no longer had connections in the court. All he could give Rey was the house they lived in, the heirlooms within it, and what small amount of gold he had left from his youth.

He knew that it was better for Rey if she left him. He never deserved to keep her, to have her love, when he had caused her so much pain in the past.

Suddenly the dinner bell rang from down the hall, startling Luke from his musings. Finding that his cheeks were wet, he took his handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his face. Then he stood and straightened his jacket and hat as he made his way from the room. Both Rey and Leia were in the hall when he stepped out, having come down the stairs together. Rey was wearing one of the new dresses he had sent for for her birthday, trimmed prettily with ribbons, and Leia was dressed in the current fashion as always. While Rey was bareheaded, Leia wore a cap, as befit the status of an unmarried woman of her age, simply frilled and very becoming.

Smiling, Luke gave them his arms, and all three went into the dining room together. The room was built for large parties and was furnished with a long polished oak table with seats enough for fourteen. Luke and Rey did not often dine there, usually choosing to take their meals in the more intimate drawing room, but Rey was not sure what Leia was used to and had asked that they be served in the larger room.

Still, the fare was light. As they took their seats, with Luke at the head of the table and Leia and Rey at his elbows, the staff brought out the first and only course. It was a hearty venison soup, seasoned to perfection and served with warm buttered buns. Leia was relieved by the simplicity of the meal. She was required to endure far too many stuffy dinner parties, with seemingly endless courses and foods so rich they coated her mouth and weighed down her stomach. This meal instead made her feel refreshed and revived after her long journey.

Feeling happy despite the difficult subject Luke had brought up during their conversation, Leia turned to her brother.

“Well, should I tell Rey the good news, or will you?”

Rey looked up from her soup. “Good news?”

“Yes, dear,” Luke answered. “Your aunt has convinced me to let you enter society.”

Rey looked between Luke and Leia in evident confusion.

“Are you not pleased?” Leia asked.

“I don’t understand,” Rey said. “You were so upset, Papa, and now you say this is good news? I can’t make sense of it.”

“Oh, no, that was not the reason for my distress,” Luke rushed to soothe. “It was only – Well, I was telling your aunt that I was afraid of failing you again.”

“Papa, no.” Rey clutched at his hand closest to her. “I told you that I had forgiven you for everything. You promised me you would not speak of it any longer.”

“Yes, so I did. I am sorry,” Luke said, bowing his head, “but it is not something that I may forget. And I have not so easily forgiven myself.”

Though Luke’s eyes were fixed on the table, Leia’s were not, and she saw the fierce frown that overcame Rey’s face.

“Well you should,” she said stubbornly. “All I ever wanted was a family, and now I have one. That’s enough for me.”

Unable to help himself, Luke laughed. Rey’s face relaxed slightly.

“I’ll enter society, as you say, Papa, but only if it makes you happy.”

“My happiness is your happiness, dearest.”

“And you think society will make me happy?”

“Yes, I think society could help you live a very happy life.”

Rey nodded decisively. “Very well, then I shall do it.”

Luke smiled and Leia clapped her hands.

“Wonderful!” she enthused. “We ought to start making plans quickly. The Season will be beginning in only a month or two.”

Luke looked slightly alarmed, but he made his voice even and calm. “What do you suggest?”

“We should certainly hold a ball for Rey’s introduction. All the households in the area will be able to come and meet her.” She waved her hands in excitement. “We should choose a date next month, but make the announcements soon, so that people may make arrangements. It will be a very long walk for some.”

Rey gripped her hands together very tightly. Catching her discomfort, Leia stilled herself.

“Ah. Erm, I suppose it’s quite a lot all at once, isn’t it?” she said. “Perhaps you’d like to start of smaller.”

Rey hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “I think I’d rather have it done with. I can do it.”

Leia smiled again. “I know you can. I’ll start making the arrangements, then.” She stood and strode to the door, but turned back in the doorway. “Oh, and if I may, I’d like to invite some of the men from my forces.”

Rey made herself smile. “Certainly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goodness, WHO could Leia be inviting? ;)
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> [regency glossary](http://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/)
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> [tumblr](http://green-in-the-galaxy.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Poe are here!

Poe Dameron lived in a small but comfortable flat in the port town of Falmouth, close to the water. It was within walking distance of the market, the monthly rent was partially paid for by the division of the Royal Navy in which he was a Commander, and, best of all, his friend and closest companion Finn lived there with him. Though the young sailor was almost 10 years his junior, Poe thought of him as his most trusted confidante. The two men were nearly inseparable, except for when one or the other were called in to serve their duties to the Navy. But even then, every night they would redress at the flat and go out to visit their friends at the clubs.

It was at one of these times that Poe was now walking back along the boulevard to the shared apartment, watching the sun set over the water. While the country as a whole was enjoying a time of relative peace, the Spanish division of the Royal Navy, which had been loaned to the King when Princess Leia Organa had come to live in England, still operated on covert missions. Therefore, Poe was still required to sit through briefing meetings, prepare mission plans, and enlist sailors to go on those missions. The Spanish fleet’s objective was to scour the coasts in search of information on the First Order, a secretive and cultish organization that General Organa believed to be plotting against the Crown.

Poe was coming from a meeting with the other officers of the Navy, and he was exhausted. They were dealing with more responsibility than usual with the General’s absence, which had added some strain to everyone. And to top it off, since he outranked most of his friends as their Commander, he had had to stay past their leaving to discuss matters that were over their level of clearance. All that Poe wanted to do now was lie down on the sofa at home and drink a bottle of wine before bed.

When he opened up the front door, he was met by the sight of Finn sitting in the armchair by the window, polishing his uniform boots. Finn was very concerned with neatness, a habit he had learned prior to meeting Poe and joining the Navy. BeeBee, Poe’s orange tabby, sat on the windowsill at his elbow. Poe smiled as he unbuttoned his jacket.

“Hello Finn.”

BeeBee meowed and Finn looked up for a moment to grin at him. “Hello Poe. How was the meeting?”

“Dreadful. Admiral Statura just about talked everyone’s ears off. Has the mail come in yet?”

“Yes, it’s there on the table,” Finn said, not looking up from his work. “Are you expecting a letter?”

Poe picked up the small stack of envelopes from the table. “Yes, Iolo ... Hold on, something’s come from the General.”

“From the General?” Finn put down the boot in his hand.

“Yes, it’s her mark,” Poe said, breaking the letter’s seal. “I thought she was on holiday to the country.” He fell silent as his eyes scanned the page.

Finn stood anxiously at his elbow. “Well? What does she say?”

When Poe looked up from the letter, he was smiling. “She wants to invite us out to the country,” he said. “Her niece will apparently be debuting this year, and she invites us to come to the girl’s first ball.”

He handed the page to Finn, who squinted down at it in confusion. “The General has a niece?”

“I suppose so. She does have a brother.”

“My god, you’re right.” Finn looked concerned. “I’d forgotten. I wouldn’t have thought him the kind of man to have a child.”

Poe laughed. “That’s because you heard all the wrong stories.”

Finn ducked his head, and for a moment Poe felt ashamed. He shouldn’t have been so flippant about the life that Finn had been forced to lead before he came to the Navy. It was not something he could have helped, and he did not like to talk about it. Poe opened his mouth to apologize just as Finn looked back up. To Poe’s relief, he was smiling.

“I think I should like to meet him, then, and learn all the _right_ stories. After all, if everyone told us that he was evil, that must mean he was extraordinarily good, right?”

Poe squeezed his friend’s arm. “My friend, you don’t know the half of it. But you will. I’ll tell you all the tales, and then when you meet him, you’ll see.”

Finn’s smile brightened, making Poe grin back. “Good.” He turned back to his chair and his boots. “What kind of arrangements do we need to make?”

“I’ll write back to General Organa right away to accept the invitation. She’s also written that her brother has very graciously asked us to stay at his home during our visit.”

Finn looked a little stunned. “That is very generous of him. To invite two men he doesn’t know to stay in his own home!”

“The General must have put in a very good word for us,” Poe smirked.

Laughing, Finn threw his cleaning rag at the man. “Maybe for you!” he said, feigning insult. “I’ll have you know General Organa thinks I’m a paragon of virtue.”

“Oh really?” Poe waggled his eyebrows. “What would she say about the time you and Jess sabotaged an entire squad’s inspection by gluing their shoes to the floor?”

Finn stood and followed the trajectory of his rag, playfully punching Poe in the arm. “That was entirely Jess’ idea! She roped me into the scheme!”

“As you say,” Poe teased. Finn threw another light punch. “All right, I yield, I yield!”

Finn relented, twisting his face to make Poe laugh, and returned to his seat. Poe leaned against the table, idly flipping through the other letters that had come in the mail. He felt refreshed and alert again; the weariness of the briefing had been wiped away by the excitement of General Organa’s letter. Perhaps he had the energy to go out after all.

“Where shall we dine tonight?” he asked his companion. “I chose last night, so it’s your turn to decide.”

“Snap stopped in on his way back from the briefing to invite us to the _Coruscant_. I told him we’d come when you had done with your part of the meeting.”

“Perfect.” Poe grinned. “What do you think they’ll say when we tell them of the General’s invitation?”

Finn smirked back at him. “Oh, I can’t wait to see Snap’s face. He’s like to go mad with jealousy.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Poe clapped his companion on the shoulder as he walked past to his bedroom. Finn quickly finished polishing his boots and hurried after him into his own room. They dressed quickly but smartly, picking out brocaded waistcoats and their best breeches. Finn chose a waistcoat of dark green to compliment the blue of his jacket, while Poe went for a more daring combination of copper and grey. Before leaving the flat, they both gave each other’s clothing a brush to make sure there were no wrinkles or stray cat hairs. Then they stepped out onto the cobblestones, walking briskly through the maze of streets to the center of the city, where the sailors’ most patronized club, the _Coruscant_ , sat.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Finn and Poe made their way to the table that their friends frequented, at the very back corner of the club. It was already packed full of people, but when they saw the two men coming, everyone shifted aside to make place for their addition.

“Poe! Finn!” the man called Snap shouted, shaking their hands vigorously as they stepped up to the table. His given name was Temmin Wexley, but everyone he knew called him by his nickname, Snap. His cheeks were flushed above his neatly trimmed beard, and his cravat had been untied and was hanging limp around his neck.

“Snap, my good man!” Poe replied. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I see you’ve started without us.”

Snap laughed. “I know better than to wait when you’re with the higher-ups, Poe. You never know how long those damn meetings will last.”

Poe joined in his laughter as he pulled up a chair between him and Iolo Arana. Around the table, Finn sat down next to Karé Kun, who was dressed as usual in her coat and breeches. Finn had learned very quickly that Karé’s manner of dress was _not_ something that one teased her about, unless one enjoyed getting black eyes. He had come to see it as a normal part of her, and quite practical too. It fit with her image as the Captain of the Stiletto squadron.

On her right was Jessika Pava, wearing a more socially accepted dress under a military-styled Spencer, with her bonnet in front of her on the table. Her black hair was braided long over her right shoulder, somewhat at odds with her otherwise stylish clothes. Both she and Karé grinned at Finn as he took his seat.

“What took you two so long?” Jess asked. “The captains all got here almost an hour ago.”

“Well.” Finn looked over and met Poe’s eyes. “Should I tell them, Poe?”

Karé looked at him sharply. “Tell us what?”

All four of Poe and Finn’s closest friends—Snap and Iolo on either side of Poe and Jess and Karé to Finn’s right—focused on the two. Their eyes flicked from man to man until abruptly Iolo stood.

“Everybody shut your mouths!” He shouted over the babble of conversation around the table. The assembled sailors fell silent. “Finn and Poe have something important to tell us.”

Poe’s eyes sparkled as he leaned forwards, splaying his hands on the table.

“We’ve received an invitation to take a trip to the country ... from the General herself.” The table rippled with astonished gasps and murmurs. “And can you guess who we’ll be staying with?” Poe waited as everyone replied with a chorus of who’s. “ _THE Luke Skywalker_.”

The entire table sat stunned. Iolo’s mouth had dropped open, and Jess’ eyes were wide as saucers. Poe sat back and put his feet up on the table, grinning.

Snap was the first to break the silence. “ _Luke Skywalker_?? Are you _serious_? I thought he’d dropped off the map!”

“Apparently General Organa knows where he is,” Poe replied. “And she says he has a daughter.”

“A _what_?” Iolo gaped.

“We’re to go to her debut ball,” Finn piped in.

“The General has even relieved us of our duties whilst we’re there,” said Poe.

Finn was just as surprised as the rest of his friends. “We are?” he asked.

“I thought you read the letter.”

His cheeks darkened. “Well. I skimmed it.”

Poe chuckled. “The General says that Admiral Akbar has been notified to make arrangements to fill our duties.”

Jess let out a sigh and put her chin in her hands. “So you get to go on leave _and_ meet a pretty girl at the same time? How unfair.”

“We don’t know she’s pretty,” Finn tried to appease.

“Have you even looked at General Organa? Any relation of hers is bound to be gorgeous.”

Her friends laughed, and conversation started back up around the table. Snap drained his glass and reached for the pitcher to refill it.

“Pretty girls are a bonus, no doubt, but Poe, you get to meet the man of _legend_. I can’t believe Skywalker is still alive!”

The man went on almost all night, telling all sorts of stories about the man from his days in the Royal Guard. Finn was astonished by the tales of daring and bravery. He listened with rapt attention as his friends interrupted and embellished on Snap’s stories, telling their own versions as they had heard them as children. Soon it was well past midnight, the club starting to empty of its patrons. Noticing the lateness of the hour, the sailors said their good nights to each other and left as well, each to their own lodgings.

After making arrangements for a carriage driver from the Navy resources as per General Organa’s instructions and ensuring that the apartment had been paid up for the month, Finn and Poe were ready to leave within the week. Poe gave BeeBee to Jess for safekeeping, an arrangement that delighted the young sailor. She was very fond of the feisty cat and enjoyed playing with her when she came to call on her friends.

On the morning that they were set to leave, Poe and Finn’s friends all came to see them off. Snap and Iolo helped them load their trunks onto the back of the carriage and embraced them before stepping back and letting the ladies have their turn. Jess hugged them fiercely and made them promise to write often and Karé gave them each a lap blanket for their long journey.

And a long journey it was. They travelled along the southern coast for two weeks before turning inland for another five days, stopping at inns and taverns each night to refresh themselves and the carriage horses. Finally, after three weeks of riding, the carriage driver approached the men as they breakfasted to tell them that he believed they would arrive at their destination today. He had gotten directions from the inn’s owner to the long avenue that General Organa said would lead to the Skywalker home, although the man warned that visitors were not usually welcomed there.

With newfound energy and excitement, Finn and Poe boarded their carriage for the last time. They watched eagerly out the windows as the wide, well-travelled roads narrowed into country lanes, until they were trundling down the tiny wooded path that the General had mentioned. For almost half an hour the rode through the tunnel of trees, shaded from the early autumn sunlight by the leafy canopy.

And then, at last, the woods opened up, and they were riding over lush green lawns, with the manor in the middle distance. As the carriage driver pulled closer, the front door of the house opened, and to Poe and Finn’s astonishment, the General herself stepped out. She waved merrily until they had disembarked.

“Commander Dameron! Private Finn! Welcome to Tatooine.”

Leia smiled and embraced each man, kissing them on the cheek, then ushered them through the great house’s door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for your support of the story so far! :) I'm having a good time writing it, so I hope you're all enjoying reading it. Things are about to get more nefarious in the next chapter so stay tuned ;)
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> [regency glossary](http://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/)
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> [tumblr](http://green-in-the-galaxy.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

The spy Bazine Netal stood in the middle of a large room, in the direct center of the circular pattern on the marble floor. She held her arms loosely at her sides, giving off the impression that she was perfectly as ease in her settings. She did not move to fiddle with the wide ribbon of her black capote tied tightly under her chin. She did not try to smooth out the wrinkles in her patterned dress. When the pair of men standing in front of her leaned forward, she lifted the corner of her lips into a smirk.

“A ball, you say?” asked the ginger-haired man on her left. “For Skywalker’s daughter?”

“Yes, General Hux,” Bazine replied.

The man frowned. “I did not think he ever married. We ought to have already acquired that kind of information.”

Bazine stayed silent, glancing at the figure to her right. The Knight Ren. He was perfectly unreadable, his face covered by a silver and black helmet and his posture rigidly straight. He had not spoken once since her arrival. It unnerved her, though not enough to entirely dampen her good mood. She hadn’t believed her luck when the Navy sailors she had been following had actually produced some relevant news. She had ridden hard into the moors to get it here, to the secret base of the First Order. Her eyes slid back to Hux as he continued to question her information.

“And you were unable to learn the location of the Skywalker manor?”

“No, sir. The Commander and the private were very careful not to mention it in the conversation.”

“Very well. Nonetheless, you have given us valuable information, Miss Netal. You will receive a bonus in your next cheque.” Hux gave her a cursory nod.

She curtsied and then, unable to help herself, glanced at Ren again. He turned his back on her as she looked, a more effective dismissal than Hux’s words could ever be. Giving his back a sneer, Bazine spun on her heel and glided from the room, still holding up her prideful head.

When the door had closed behind her, Kylo Ren at last spoke.

“The Supreme Leader must be informed. At once.” His voice came out cold and muffled by the metal over his face.

“Yes, no doubt.” Kylo watched Hux as he strode to a door opposite the one Bazine had left from and turned to hold it open. He raised an eyebrow at the knight when he did not immediately follow.

Irritated, Kylo stalked over to the door and brushed past him into the hallway. He walked quickly through the mess of corridors that made up the First Order compound, making sure that he was ahead of Hux the entire time. When they came to the door that marked the entrance to Supreme Leader Snoke’s rooms, he swung it open and went through first, utterly ignoring the man behind him.

The pair descended a steep set of stairs down into the earth until they reached a long, thin corridor. Kylo could feel the air grow cold even under his thick cloak and leather clothes. The corridor was dimly lit by oil lanterns, leaving wells of deep shadow. Unperturbed by the sinister surroundings, Kylo continued to stride purposefully toward his destination.

Finally he reached the ornate wooden door at the end of the passageway, decorated with a spectacularly intricate burning sun. Sixteen identical carved rays spun out from the center in a perfect circle, taking up the door’s entire width.

Here, the knight paused, waiting for Hux to step up beside him. Then he knocked on the door, loudly, three times. There was a long silence, and then from within a voice bade them to enter.

Kylo opened the door and the two men stepped inside to the Supreme Leader’s audience room. Rich wooden panels lined the walls and a thick rug lay over the floor, but these details were nearly hidden in the darkness of the room. The only light came from two thin candles, placed on either side of the massive desk that took up the middle of the room. Barely within the reach of their guttering light sat the man Kylo and Hux had come to see, the Supreme Leader of the First Order.

The man was shriveled and scarred, his skin translucent and pale as milk. Hux thought it was possible that he hadn’t the sun in decades. He lifted a thin, wasted hand to beckon the two men forward. They bowed deeply as they approached.

“Supreme Leader,” Hux said, “We have just received important information that leads us to believe Skywalker will become active again.”

Snoke leaned forward. “At long last?”

“Yes, Supreme Leader. One of our spies overheard two members of General Organa’s Navy discussing a ball for Skywalker’s daughter.”

“A daughter?” the old man questioned. “You’re sure the information is reliable?”

“Yes, Supreme Leader. The spy who brought it is one of our best, and she says that the sailors are highly trusted by Organa.”

At this, Kylo stepped forward, interrupting the conversation.

“I should go after them.”

Hux narrowed his eyes at him. “And go where? You heard Miss Netal say she didn’t find out Skywalker’s location. She doesn’t even know where those sailors are heading.”

“Then I should be out searching for them!”

“No.” The Supreme Leader’s voice was cold and firm. “You will stay here. Your services are not yet needed.”

Kylo’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He struggled to breath normally. “Yes, Supreme Leader.”

“Supreme Leader,” Hux said. The gnarled old man focused on the general. “I will make sure that we find this ball. I am prepared to double the number of agents in the field.”

“Do it,” Snoke responded. “Do not let him escape our web.”

Hux bowed his head to him. The Supreme Leader surveyed the two men for a moment before sitting back in his seat.

“You are dismissed,” he said. “Both of you.”

Kylo jerked out a bow whilst Hux bent smoothly at the waist, then turned on his heel and swept out of the room. Stiff with rage, he stalked back down the long corridor and up the stairs until he was back in the main compound again.

He wrenched open the first door he reached and stepped inside, drawing his sword immediately. He lashed out at the first thing in reach—a plain high-backed chair—and hacked off the top corner. His mind was blank with fury; he hardly noticed as he moved forward again, swinging wildly at the other chairs set up around the long wooden table. All he could think of was the Supreme Leader’s dismissal. There was so much more that Kylo could be doing, should be doing, but Snoke would not let him off his short leash. He hated being chained up here like a dog, barely able to step outside of the compound without the old man’s consent. He needed to be out on the road, searching for the trail of the two sailors. He needed to do something besides twiddle his thumbs and wait for information. He needed _blood._

As Kylo raged in the small meeting room, Hux continued on down the hall, rubbing at his temple. He would have to notify the maintenance staff to clear the room of debris and then go to the budget committee and obtain the funds to replace the destroyed furniture. This was the second outburst by the knight this month, and in the same room too. Perhaps Hux ought to leave the room empty, but that wouldn’t do. Every room in the First Order compound was needed to support their operation, including that one. No, it would need to be refurnished once again.

If only the infuriating man would just _apologize_ for his actions, then perhaps the situation would be less frustrating. But he never did, and Hux doubted he would today. With a heavy sigh, the general strode away to give out his instructions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The First Order finally makes an appearance!
> 
>  
> 
> I just had to use [Bazine](http://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Bazine-Netal.jpg) in this chapter! I thought she was a spectacular one-off character in the movie.
> 
>  
> 
> [regency glossary](http://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/)
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://green-in-the-galaxy.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since the last update everyone! Real life + writer's block = 0 productivity :( Hope this chapter is long enough to make up for it!

Finn and Poe had barely a moment to marvel at the beautiful woodwork of the entrance hall they had just stepped into before they were met with the sight of Luke and Rey, standing side by side at the bottom of the wide staircase. Finn caught Poe’s sharp intake of breath, certain that it was a mirror of his own surprise. He had never imagined the legendary figure of Luke Skywalker to look so – well, old. Reasonably, he knew that the events of the stories he’d been told had taken place over thirty years ago, but somehow he hadn’t believed that Skywalker would look so different.

As Finn took in the man’s lined face, framed by his grey hair and beard, Luke looked over to his daughter. Finn followed his gaze, and was shocked anew.

Jess had been right; the Skywalker girl was indeed a beauty. Her face was lively, with bright eyes and gently curving lips. Tendrils of hair floated by her temples and ears in the breeze from the door.

Leia stepped forward, breaking Finn’s reverie.

“Luke, Rey, allow me to introduce Commander Poe Dameron and Private Finn.”

Rey bowed her head and curtsied, but Finn caught her looking up at them from beneath her lashes. He suppressed a smile as he bowed back.

“Sir Skywalker, it is an honor to meet you at last,” Poe said beside him.

“Ah, I’m afraid I no longer hold that title, Commander Dameron. I lost it when I left the King’s Guard. I suppose ‘Mr. Skywalker’ will have to do, no?”

Poe flushed red and made to bow again, but was stopped by a light touch by Rey.

“Papa, don’t,” she said, mock scolding. “You’ve embarrassed him.”

The older man finally smiled. Finn and Poe were relieved to see it bring youth back to his features. He inclined his head to Poe.

“My apologies, Commander. Please forgive an old man for forgetting his niceties. I am very glad to receive your honor. It has been quite a long time since I had the pleasure of being greeted in such a manner.”

Poe’s face flushed again, but this time in happiness from the approval, and Rey grinned round at the assembled party, evidently pleased. Then the door opened again, admitting the footmen with Poe and Finn’s trunks, and a great flurry of activity commenced. The footmen were instructed where the trunks were to go, and Luke and Rey stepped aside as they were whisked away up the stairs, whilst Finn and Poe removed their hats and coats and began inquiring about supper. They were informed that supper had unfortunately already been served, but arrangements could be made to bring food to the sailors’ rooms if they wished to get themselves settled. The two men agreed, and the arrangements were made, and they too disappeared up the stairs, leaving the hall at once in a ringing quiet.

Luke, Leia, and Rey stood together for a moment, looking up the staircase, before going into the drawing room to practise their nightly meditations. It was a habit that Rey and Luke had observed the entire time they had been together at Tatooine, and one that Leia rarely had time for, but greatly enjoyed whenever she came to visit her brother. The three knelt on cushions on the floor, in an area cleared expressly for this purpose, facing each other with their hands on their knees. Luke had a very pretty little bell, which he used in the beginning of the practice to ease them into a meditative state, and again at the end to bring them out of it.

The group meditated quietly for an hour, putting all thoughts and worries out of their heads, until it was time for each to retire to their own rooms. When they finished, they put away the bell and the cushions, and then bade each other goodnight at the top of the stairs. Mindful that Commander Dameron and Private Finn had been placed in rooms along the same hall as her own, Rey walked very quietly past their doorways. There was no sound from them as she retired and climbed into her bed, where she quickly fell asleep.

By the morning, though, refreshed by sleep and unthinking past her normal routine, all thoughts of Finn and Poe had left her head. Rey awoke at her normal time, just after dawn, to take her daily walk before breakfast. These walks were her times to be peaceful and to rest her mind before she had to turn to the concerns of the day. Therefore, she kept her thoughts blank as she slipped into her favourite, well-worn morning dress and pelisse and took up the flat-crowned hat that she loved, then walked out to the stairs.

As she descended, however, she heard unfamiliar voices coming from the hallway to the dining room, and then the figures of Finn and Poe emerged into the entrance hall. Rey froze, her memory of the introduction that had taken place last night rushing back to her. She could hardly believe that she had forgotten the two striking sailors. They looked very fine this morning, dressed in smart jackets and well-fitting breeches.

Before Rey had quite recovered from her shock, Finn and Poe noticed her standing on the staircase. They stepped towards her.

“Miss Skywalker, good morning,” Finn said, extending a hand to help her down the rest of the stairs. Rey, made uncomfortable by her lapse in memory and the apparent shabbiness of her dress compared to theirs, frowned.

“I am capable of walking without your help,” she said, folding her arms over her ribs. Finn snatched his hand back, flushing. Poe coughed.

“Are you an early riser as well, Miss Skywalker?” he asked in an attempt to prevent the moment from becoming too awkward. “Finn and I are used to keeping early hours in the Navy, but we had not expected anyone else until much later in the morning.”

Rey descended the last few steps and placed her hat over her hair. “I like to take a walk before breakfast,” she said as she tied the ribbons.

“Would you like us to accompany you?”

“No,” Rey blurted. Then, realizing her rudeness, she took a breath and smiled. “No, thank you. I should like to be alone.” Hardly noticing the bows that Finn and Poe gave her, she rushed out the front door, and did not stop until she had reached the cover of the forest. There she slowed, breathing deeply, trying to school her mind into peaceful emptiness. But as hard as she tried, she could not find the tranquility she regularly enjoyed on her walks. Her mind circled over and over her interaction with Commander Dameron and Private Finn. Papa had certainly taught her how to be polite, and Aunt Leia had been trying to impress fashionable manners upon her in preparation for her debut, but she had been alone and out of Society so long she still hardly knew how to act.

It was hard for her to suppress the instincts she had learned in London as a child, when she had had to beg for every meal. She did not know how to be at ease with touching a stranger’s hand.

And yet, Private Finn had looked so pained when she did not accept his help, and Commander Dameron had rushed so quickly to speak after her rejection, that she felt ashamed of her behavior.

As she walked, Rey struggled between her feelings of guilt and her innate distrust of strangers. She could not make heads or tails of her feelings, and though her route was long, by the time the great house was once more in sight she was no closer to a resolution than she had been when she had begun. All she could think to do was to try harder to be civil and listen to her aunt’s lessons.

When Rey arrived back at the house, she went quickly to her room to put on a more presentable dress. Luke and Leia were sitting down to breakfast, where Finn and Poe had joined them, even though they had already eaten, to chat with Luke and learn more about him. As Rey entered the room, both sailors stood. As though out of reflex, Finn reached to pull out the chair that had been left empty for her. He glanced up at her nervously, but when she gave him a careful nod, his face relaxed into a smile.

Rey allowed him to push her chair back in, and when he and Poe had been seated, the conversation resumed. It seemed that the party had been talking about Rey’s ball.

“The ball is set for the end of the week, then?” Poe asked.

“Yes,” Luke replied. “We’ve consulted the Almanac and we believe that the night will be clear and the moon will be close to full.”

Finn leaned forward. “Is the moon important to a ball?”

“Oh yes,” Leia replied. “Many of our guests will be travelling on foot, and it would be foolish to plan a ball when they could not use the light of the moon to see on their way here.”

“Have you never been to a ball either, young man?” Luke addressed Finn.

Finn shook his head. “No, sir. This will be my first.”

Luke smiled. “Well then, I am glad that you have the opportunity to experience it here with us.”

“Thank you, sir,” Finn gasped. His eyes flicked over to Rey, and he was relieved to see that she was smiling again, appearing to echo her father’s sentiment. He was not sure what he had done that morning to upset her, but she seemed to be responding well to his actions now. If he continued to act respectful and look for clues as to how Rey was feeling, perhaps they might be able to establish at least a pleasant acquaintance.

And, as it turned out, he would have a great deal of opportunity to test his belief. Leia was still concerned about Rey learning the rules of Society, and thought that she ought to practise with Finn and Poe, who already knew them. To Finn’s surprise, Rey readily agreed to the proposal, and by the time that the breakfast dishes had been cleared, it had been decided that he and Poe should help her to become more fashionable.

They spent the rest of the day assisting Rey in her lessons, of which there were many. Leia was teaching her the subtleties of polite conversation, how to properly greet those in higher or lower positions, and all of the little rituals of dinner parties. Most importantly, though, she needed to learn how to dance. In this area, Poe and Finn’s services were especially required. All of the dances that Luke knew were terribly outdated, and Leia could not be teacher and partner at once.

The only problem was Rey herself. Standing in the middle of the ballroom, looking down at the hand held out to her by Poe, she found she could hardly make herself raise her fingers to take it. Silently, she chastised herself. Hadn’t she just this morning resolved to try harder to be acceptable to society? She knew that this setting was nothing like the dirty alleyways of London, where an outstretched hand was as likely to take as it was to give. There was no reason to distrust the handsome Commander in front of her. Yet, her fingers only fluttered irresolutely at her side.

“Rey,” Leia said, an edge of sharpness to her voice. “It is important that you try to follow the steps correctly.”

Rey flushed with embarrassment and looked down at her feet, her brow furrowing.

“It’s all right,” Poe said quietly. He tried to smile gently when Rey looked up at him. “It’s all right to feel uncomfortable. Would you like to learn a different dance instead?”

Rather than taking comfort from his words, Rey felt instead frustrated. Commander Dameron should not feel the need to coddle her so.

“No, I can do it,” she said. And then quieter, almost to herself, “I can do it.”

Taking a deep breath, she brought her hand up quickly, the slap of her palm against his echoing throughout the room.

Poe let out a short, surprised laugh, the skin of his palm tingling slightly. “I suppose that shall do, shall it not, General?”

Rey looked over to find her aunt suppressing a smile. Finn stood behind her, his mouth slightly open as he stared at Rey’s hand resting awkwardly on Poe’s.

“I suppose it shall,” Leia agreed. “Let us continue.”

Leia continued to guide the pair through the steps of the dance, but despite her hopes, the rest of the evening passed as tediously as it had started. Rey hesitated and gritted her teeth at every new touch, causing Leia’s instructions to stretch out to twice the length of time they might have been. Changing partners did no difference. Rey continued to struggle with Finn as much as she did with Poe, despite his murmured words of encouragement whenever Leia would scold her for not standing close enough. Both his and Poe’s patience made her want to scream.

She went to bed exhausted, dreading having to go through the same exercises again the next day.

In the morning, they began again with Rey’s social niceties, but as the day wore on, they moved once more to the dancing. Rey tried not to drag her feet to the ballroom, though she desperately wished she could be anywhere else.

This time, she started with Finn as a partner as they began to review the steps she had learned the previous day. As before, she felt stiff and awkward, moving her limbs mechanically as Leia counted out each beat.

Soon, they came to the part that required Rey to take Finn’s hand. As she had done yesterday, Rey halted, hesitating, her jaw clenched. When she forced herself to move, however, the hand that eventually flitted up was gentle. It came to rest softly against Finn’s palm without hardly a whisper.

Rey and Finn’s eyes met, their faces showing mirroring expressions of astonishment. To their side, Leia and Poe looked on in barely curbed glee. At once, Leia started again to count, wishing to capitalize on the moment.

Finn held Rey’s hand gently as they continued with the dance and let it go easily when it was required of him to do so. His flashing smile helped Rey relax in a way that it hadn’t yesterday, helping her to feel less hesitant in pressing their palms together as they spun and stepped around each other. To the evident pleasure of her aunt and dance partners, she found herself more at ease and accepting of the two men’s touches. Finn and Poe’s smiles were broader, their eyes widened with excitement, and yet they still didn’t push in the moments she became reticent again. Their encouragement was still overwhelming, but Rey couldn’t help but feel proud of her progress. At the end of the practice, she ventured a smile at both sailors, and watched their faces light up in delight.

This reaction, more than anything else, carried Rey through the week’s teachings. She, Finn, and Poe spent a great deal of time together, teaching the inexperienced girl about the world outside of the sprawling acres of Tatooine. Despite the long minutes and hours they spent in each other’s company during these lessons, however, Rey found herself seeking out the two men in their free time as well. She found that she liked to see their smiles and listen to the stories and jokes that they told, and especially to hear the praises that they gave to her. Thousands of little words of commendation and encouragement spilled from their lips when she was around them, telling her how well they believed her to be progressing in her studies.

They, in turn, greatly enjoyed spending time with and getting to know the young woman that had captured their interest from the first moment they saw her. Though still very private and unwilling to talk about her past and childhood, they still made pleasant conversation about her home at Tatooine and the times she spent with her father. Finn was particularly taken by the way that Rey’s eyes sparkled when she laughed, and Poe by the way she awe and curiosity when he told her a new tidbit of information.

After only a few days, the three were nearly inseparable. Finn and Poe now accompanied Rey on her morning walks, ever admiring of the natural beauty around the estate, and sat with her late into the evening after she had finished her meditations. None could believe how quickly the week went, until it was the day before the ball was to take place. That night, as they sat around the fireplace in the sitting room, each felt strangely reserved. They hardly talked at all—their heads filled with thoughts about the events to take place—and eventually agreed to retire early.

Still, as they lay in their own separate beds, none could sleep, though if it was apprehension or excitement that kept them awake, they could not say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for some heavy Regency flirting in the next chapter! I'm v excited
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [regency glossary](http://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://green-in-the-galaxy.tumblr.com)


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